HONG KONG HIT AGAIN

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 28, 28 October 1942, Page 5

HONG KONG HIT AGAIN

American Bombers GREAT REJOICING IN CHUNGKING (British Official Wireless.) (Received October 27, 7.30 p.m.) RUGBY, October 26. American bombers attacked Hong Kong this morning for the second time, according to a communique from General Stilwell’s headquarters in Chungking. An airfield near the city was bombed and the power station at North Point was destroyed. Eighteen Japanese intercepting planes were shot down and five others were probably destroyed. One American pilot was slightly injured and his aircraft made a forced landing in Chinese territory. No American plane was lost.

Manv tons of incendiaries and high explosives were dropped, causing considerable damage. In addition to the power station, the only one in Hong Kong, a Japanese destroyer was probably sunk and a ferry-boat was blown UP- . American Bombers, without loss to themselves, started big fires on a Japanese-occupied aerodrome northeast of Canton. Enemy Fighters Scattered. The Associated Press says that Sunday's raid on Hong Kong caught the Japanese napping. The last bombracks were emptied before the Japanese fighters challenged the bombers. There was a hot time for a few minutes when the Zeros swarmed toward the bombers, but the American fighters soon scattered the enemy. Twenty tons of bombs landed in the target area. Ships, docks, and warehouses were hit and many fires started both on Hong Kong Island and on Kowloon. Ten enemy fighters were shot down and five more probably destroyed. One American bomber failed to return and one fighter was forced down in Chinese territory. The news of these blows was greeted with great rejoicing in Chungking as indicating that the big American aerial offensive had begun. A Chungking menage says that yesterday six American flghteis intercepted 20 enemy fighters in southern Yunnan near the Indo-Chinese border. Three enemy fighters were destroyed and four probably destroyed without loss to tlie Americans. The bombing of aerodromes in northeast Assam is described by General Headquarters in India as follows: ■ Yesterday euemv aircraft attacked the aerodrome at Chittagong and some aerodromes in north-east Assam. Reports so far indicate that civilian ami military casualties were extremely light and the damage labour employed in the areas attacked displayed extremely high morale. Their devotion to routiue duties is most marked. _ , “There was a further raid on aii aei(b drome in north-east Assam today. No details are yet available, but later one enemy aircraft was shot down in flames, two of the crew baling out by parachute. Enemy losses so far reported in yesterday’s raid are four.”

GENERAL HEALTH SAID TO BE GOOD Prisoners In Hong Kong (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 26. The War Office states that International Red Cross delegates visited prisoner o£ war camps in Hong Kong at North Point, ‘Sham iSliul 80, and Argyll Street anil two hospitals for sick and wounded prisoners.

Their report states that Canadian prisoners are at North Point. They number 65" officers, 310 non-commis-sioned officers and 1202 privates. Sham Shui Po contained 75 officers, 1540 noncommissioned officers and 2779 privates, believed to be British, or colonial of all services. Argyll Street contained 474 officers, 19 non-commissioned officers and 93 orderlies.

The delegates report that the general state of health of the prisoners is good and that they are satisfied with the administrative arrangements. _ The Bowen Road military hospital on Hong Kong Island contains 246 inmates and the 'St. Theresa hospital in Kowloon 09. Hospital accommodation is stated to be satisfactory and the medic*! and nursing staff qualified. The delegates are taking steps to ensure adequate supplies of winter clothing and drugs. Sham iShui I’o is a two-battalion hutted camp constructed in 1936 for British troops at Kowloon. North Point and Argyll 'Street are hutted camps constructed shortly before the war to aceoinmjodate refugees. They should provide satisfactory accommodation for the number mentioned. The telegraphic report from the International Red Cross Committee does not mention Indian prisoners, about whom inquiries have been made. OUT OF COMMISSION Damage To Enemy Coal Mines In China NEW YORK, October 26. American heavy bombers seriously damaged Japanese-operated coal mines in the vicinity of Liusi in north-east China on October 21, says the Associated Press correspondent at United States Army Headquarters in China. In one of the longest raids of the war, bomlbers destroyed a power plant and put the Linsi mine and five other mines in the Kalian area north-east of Tientsin out of commission. Japan draws large fuel supplies for its war industries from these 'mines. It is believed that the power-house and other installations cannot be restored for many months.'